Kabul

Introduction

Afghanistan

Kabul (Persian: کابل) is the capital and largest city in Afghanistan and has about 3 million inhabitants. It is located in the central eastern part of the country in a valley at an altitude of about 1800 meters, with the nearby Hindu Kush mountains towering above the city in the distance. It is believed that the city has been inhabited since at least 3500 years and nowadays it is the economical and cultural heart of the country. Although the city saw relatively many travellers before the Soviet invasion during the late seventies, since then number have declined significantly. Nowadays, few travellers make it to this ancient city but the adventurous people who travel overland from Pakistan are rewarded with some great experience, albeit not very safe due to unexpected bomb attacks which can happen everywhere. The National Museum and the narrow alleys filled with bazaars are the main features of Kabul.

Weather

Kabul's climate is harsh, with hot and dry summers and sometimes bitterly cold winters. Average summer temperatures are well above 30 degrees Celcius during the day in most of the country, but drop to around 15 degrees or a little more at night in places at higher altitude like Kabul. The short winter lasts from December to February with temperatures during the day a few degrees above zero, but averaging around -8 degrees Celcius in Kabul in January for example. Records of 40 in summer and -21 in winter have been recorded in the capital. Summers are dry while March and April sees most of the rain.